Look for Couture to be in lineup tonight against Calgary while Wallin will be game-time decision

Logan Couture says he’s ready to play tonight and Todd McLellan says he’s in absolute agreement with that assessment, so it looks like the Sharks’ Calder Trophy candidate will be in the lineup tonight against Calgary.

And, yes, in this case the NHL schedule-makers helped out by giving San Jose two days between games so that Couture had adequate time to recover from that frightening tumble into the end boards.

“I’m sure if we played back-to-backs, or even yesterday, I probably would have missed a game,” Couture said, “but with a couple days off it allowed me as well as a couple other guys to get a little bit of rest.”

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One of those other guys — defenseman Niclas Wallin, who had his head bounced off the Plexiglas in Dallas last week — could also play against the Flames with McLellan saying it would be a game-time decision.

If Wallin does play, McLellan could chose to go with seven defensemen as he did on Dan Boyle’s first game back after an injury, spreading the minutes around a little more than usual.

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.

Great work DP!
Excited to see Couture back in tonite-should b a good one.

Shrk2th

Woo- hooo! Alright Couture!

Goober

Who is in nets tonight?? And what about Nichol, is he ready?

Tutone37

I’m sure Nemo will be in the nets tonight. This is Calgary’s biggest game of the year, and it would behoove the Sharks to put their best effort, not only to keep up their division lead, but to put a hand in eliminating a possible playoff opponent. (see Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers, final game of the season). Their first line goalie should be in the nets.

I really don’t see Nitty playing until the Sharks clinch a playoff spot. The Sharks have a few days off between games in the next week, so Niemi should be well rested.

Can’t wait for tonight!

garlicbulb

If TN was serious about getting Nitty to play, there are only two back-to-backs left in the schedule. Tonight starts the first one. The other back-to-back is an away-home back-to-back against Phoenix to end the regular season.

Antti Niemi in nets and, all, how about we consider that a given at this point unless I get any indication otherwise.

And, if you missed it in previous post, Todd McLellan make it clear yesterday that Scott Nichol wasn’t going to be ready yet.

David

Sharkalchemy

i like Mashinter. I wanted to see a little more of the big guy, but oh well.

Logan playing is all good. go Sharks!

Long Time No Cup

There was a conversation a few strings back about how relatively few major eye injuries there have been over the years. Two or three were mentioned as evidence they were few and far between.

I remember one awful one from 1966 when Doug Mohns of Chi was fighting Doug Barkley of Det face to face for the puck along the boards. Mohns tried to lift Barkley’s stick and missed just as Barkley fell forward. Mohns’ stick blade sliced through Barkley’s eye destroying it and ending Barkley’s career. I was watching on TV and even as a teenager secure in the belief in my own immortatlity I was sick watching him taken off the ice his face swathed in a towel.

I seem to remember an NHL policy that one-eyed players could not play in the NHL because of the risk of losing one’s only good eye. It may have been Brian Berard who challenged it as he at first retired after losing most sight in his eye and then returned for a second go-around.

It has bothered me quite a bit lately to hear leaders of my favorite sport say things like intentional blows to the head sufficient to cause major concussions, driving heads intentionally into stanchions (maybe only once per person), cheeks ripped open on photographer’s windows, lost eyes are an acceptable part of the game and, in fact, part of its appeal. Not even NASCAR is so craven as to admit crashes and sudden death are part of a formal marketing strategy.

If my contribution to the global gene pool spawns, as we all must fervently hope for the future of humanity that he does, it will be a conflicted grandpa who lavishes sticks and skates on little him/her.

http://petshark.wordpress.com/ petshark

Long Time No Cup, #10. Ironically, I had a similar conversation (“fewer eye injuries than you would expect”) just before Manny got hurt. Eeek. But I have a theory that this isn’t because people are lucky. It’s because when a puck or any object is flying at your face, your eye is the first and last part to be aware of it, and the tiniest flinch away can prevent your eye being hit square. But the fact that it doesn’t take much of a hit to do lasting damage should be enough to convince people that however much of a handicap a visor may be, this might be one players would like to rethink. Worrying about future handicaps doesn’t really go with hockey but… yikes, it’s your EYES.

As for all that grisly stuff being “acceptable,” I really think that attitude is fading fast.

Goober

Thanks DP! I forgot about Nichol but you still posted him as in the 4th line sharing time with Desjardins in the line rushes yesterday at practice. That is why I asked.